About the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians
Salesian
Sisters
The Daughters of Mary Help of Christians is a community of sisters
dedicated to ministry to youth. They were founded by a young woman,
Mary Dominica Mazzarello, who wanted to serve the Lord in the ministry
of education. (Click
here for a biography of St. Mary Mazzarello.) Mary Mazzarello
was a remarkable woman. She was born in 1837 in a small village of
Mornese in Northern Italy. She worked even as a young girl on the
family farm and grew to be a strong and determined young woman.
In nineteenth century Italy the education of youth was done in gender
groups with women taking care of girls and men taking care of boys.
Don Bosco was looking for a way to minister to girls when he became
aware of the intentions of Mary Mazzarello who had already formed
a small group of young women who were caring for girls. Mary was filled
with a vision for the future where she saw herself and her "sisters"
spending their lives and energies in the education of girls. She clearly
understood that the Blessed Mother, Mary the mother of Jesus, was
guiding her. Her parish priest Fr. Pestarino introduced her to Don
Bosco and a long collaboration began between the two saints. Mary
Mazzarello formed a religious community, which she called the Daughters
of Mary Help of Christians. The community is popularly referred to
as the Salesian Sisters. The Sisters follow a spirit inspired by St.
Mary Mazzarello and St. John Bosco.
St Mary Mazzarello encouraged her community "Let us be aware
of the presence Mary, the mother of Jesus, in our lives and entrust
ourselves entirely to her, striving to make her dispositions of faith,
hope and charity, and her perfect union with Christ, our own. Let
us open our hearts to the joyous humility of her "Magnificat"
to be helpers, like her, especially among young girls. "
St. Mary Mazzarello died in 1881 at the age of 44. Her life was short
but with an untiring zeal for service she gave impetus to a movement
that launched her community into the 20th century and beyond. Today
the Salesian Sisters are one of the largest communities of women in
the Church and serve all over the world, dedicated to youth ministry
and education. Here In the United States they are involved in elementary,
junior high and high school education, religious education, youth
ministry and parish ministry.
